National group names award for ex-superintendent Valeria Silva

St. Paul Public Schools superintendent Valeria Silva is interviewed in her office in St. Paul on Friday, February 5, 2016. (Pioneer Press: Jean Pieri)

An organization of large urban school districts has established an award in honor of former St. Paul Public Schools superintendent Valeria Silva.

The Council of Great City Schools will award the Valeria Silva Award for Outstanding Contributions to English Language Learner Achievement, at its Bilingual, Immigrant and Refugee Education meeting in May in Los Angeles.

St. Paul is one of the council’s 69 member districts, and Silva once chaired the group’s board of directors.

Silva, a native of Chile whose first language is Spanish, directed English Language Learner programs in the district before she was hired as superintendent in 2009. The school board bought out her contract in June, moving her to an advisory role.